When a player receives MVP votes, they are usually recognized for their efforts throughout the entire season.
It is rare when winners of the MVP are not named All-Stars in the same season. The most recent to join that club was former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who won the 2007 NL MVP but was not named to the Mid-Summer Classic.
An interesting topic of discussion, we have constructed a list of the last five Baltimore Orioles to receive MVP votes who were not named All-Stars at the halfway mark of the season.
GUNNAR HENDERSON – 2023
The 2023 Orioles took home their first division crown in almost a decade and won 100 games for the first time since 1980.
That campaign was also the first full season for Gunnar Henderson. But before his successful year overall, Henderson was not named to the Mid-Summer Classic after struggling in the first half.
Henderson slashed .246/.342/.455 with a .797 OPS in the first half of 2023, totaling 66 hits, 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 27 RBIs. He lost the All-Star honor to Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager, Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette and former Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco.
The star shortstop had an impressive turnaround in the second half, slashing .264/.308/.521 for a .828 OPS, collecting 77 hits, 18 doubles, six triples and 15 home runs in the 71 second-half games he played.
Henderson finished the season hitting .255/.325/.489/.814, with 143 hits, 29 doubles, nine triples and 28 home runs. He finished eighth in AL MVP voting, receiving four fifth-place votes, and also earned Most Valuable Oriole honors.
ADLEY RUTSCHMAN – 2022
In just his first season in the big leagues, Adley Rutschman made a huge impact for an Orioles team that secured the first overall pick just a month and a half after he debuted.
Rutschman played in 46 games in the first half, as he did not debut until May 21, and slashed .222/.302/.420 with a .722 OPS. He posted 36 hits, with 15 of them being doubles, and knocked in 16 RBIs.
He would not be elected an All-Star in 2022 due to the slow start, as he lost out to Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees backstops Alejandro Kirk and Jose Trevino, respectively.
Rutschman’s second half would be the turnaround the Orioles needed, as he put up a .861 OPS in 67 second-half games while hitting for a .275 average and a .399 on-base percentage. He collected 65 hits, including 20 doubles and eight home runs during that span.
For the season, Rutschman finished with 101 hits, 35 doubles and 13 home runs, batting for a .254 average and .806 OPS. The former No. 1 overall pick would finish second in AL Rookie of the Year voting and 12th in AL MVP voting.
CHRIS DAVIS – 2015
The home run leader of the 2015 season was not named an All-Star.
In the first half of that year, Chris Davis played in 86 games and posted a .787 OPS with a .235 batting average. He compiled 72 hits, with 15 of them being doubles and 19 of them being home runs. Representing the AL that year at first base were Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, Prince Fielder of the Texas Rangers and Mark Teixeira of the New York Yankees.
Davis’ second half was a whole different story. In 74 games, Crush hit .293 with a 1.078 OPS, tallying 78 hits, 28 home runs and 65 RBIs.
Davis finished the season with a .923 OPS, the second best of his career, hit 47 home runs, leading MLB, and knocked in 117 RBIs. He finished 14th in AL MVP voting that season, which ultimately earned him the largest contract in franchise history.
AUBREY HUFF – 2008
Aubrey Huff never got to be an All-Star during his 13-year career, but his 2008 campaign was in discussion for a real chance at the Mid-Summer Classic.
During the first half, Huff played 90 games and posted a .875 OPS while batting .284. He collected 99 hits, 28 doubles and 18 home runs while knocking in 59 RBIs, losing the DH position to Milton Bradley of the Texas Rangers and David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox.
Huff then went on to post a .332 average and .964 OPS in 64 second-half games, earning 83 hits, 20 doubles and 14 home runs. This put him at 182 hits for the full season, with 48 doubles, 32 home runs and a .912 OPS.
Huff won a Silver Slugger Award that year and finished 16th in AL MVP voting in what was arguably the best season of his career.
MELVIN MORA – 2004
Sandwiched between his only two All-Star campaigns, Melvin Mora had his career-best season, and he wasn’t elected an All-Star.
Mora played 66 games in the first half and batted .347 while having a .989. He compiled 90 hits, 18 doubles and 12 home runs while driving in 43 RBIs, losing the third base spot to Álex Rodríguez of the New York Yankees and Hank Blalock of the Texas Rangers.
In the second half, Mora would post a .333 average and .973 OPS in 74 games, collecting 97 hits, 23 doubles, 15 home runs and 61 RBIs. That put him at a season line of .340/.419/.562 with a .981 OPS, totaling 187 hits, 41 doubles, 27 home runs and 104 RBIs.
Mora would go on to win the Silver Slugger Award for third base and finished 14th in AL MVP voting.
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